Governance

Constitution

BID Services is a Registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee. In common with all charities who adopt that particular legal structure, we are governed by the Charity’s Memorandum and Articles of Association which set out the framework in which we operate and says what we can, and cannot do.

Our Aims

It is our goal to be as open and transparent as possible and our governance structure aims to ensure that our policies, practices and decisions are inclusive and accessible to service users, staff, commissioners and the community.

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is responsible for the legal and strategic direction of the charity and formally accounts for its actions in annual reports to both the Charity Commission and Companies House. Board members are required to act in the best interest of the charity and to feel free to make their own decisions and to give opinions, advice and guidance without fear or favour and to declare any conflicts of interest.

The board of trustees brings specific sets of skills relevant to the progress of the organisation. The board is responsible for the strategic direction of the organisation and for ensuring all legal requirements are met. Much of the board’s power is delegated to the Chief Executive who, with the Senior Management Team, is responsible for the day to day management and operation of the charity to achieve its strategic objectives.

The current Board of Trustees are:

Gail Conway, Chair Person

Mike Reynolds, Trustee

Michael Price, Treasurer

Chris Daniels, Trustee

Sandeep Kaur, Trustee

Len Gregory, Trustee

Mark Hillier, Trustee

Senior Management Team

The Senior Management Team is responsible for the day to day management and operation of the charity to achieve its strategic objectives. Currently the Senior Management Team is:

Gail Penberthy, Chief Executive Officer

Responsible for the day to day management of BID

Michael Price, Director of Resources

Responsibility for Finance, HR, IT and Estates

Accountability

The board acts collectively in making decisions and seeks to achieve consensus on major decisions. However, where this is not possible, decisions will be based on a majority vote with the Chair holding a casting vote.

The Board delegates authority through the Chief Executive to the Senior Management team and staff, which supports efficient and effective operation of the Charity.

The board has established clear levels of delegated authority and the Chief Executive is empowered to make decisions and delegate authority to the Senior Management Team and staff for the day-to-day operation of the charity. Strategic decisions that would have a high impact on the charity are always elevated to the Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees Meetings

The Board of Trustees meets formally six times a year. It receives detailed reports from the Senior Management Team on how services are performing, the financial position, reviewed against budget. It also considers any major issues.

Senior Management Team Meetings

The Senior Management Team meets frequently to monitor progress of day-to-day business activity, undertake detailed financial management and planning and consider and deal with major operational issues.

Role of the Chair

The Chair is responsible for a number of key functions, including:

Directing the strategic direction, policies and plans of the charity

Ensuring the charity fulfils its statutory obligations

Communicating the plans and achievements to its stakeholders, which includes service users, commissioners, staff and the community

Ensuring the Board Members act in accordance with the established governance

Supporting the Chief Executive including agreeing objectives and undertaking an annual appraisal

Role of the Chief Executive and Senior Management Team

The Chief Executive has authority for the day-to-day management of the charity and for leading the Senior Management Team and staff in order to:

Support the Board’s strategic aims and plans

Ensure services are delivered in line with required performance indicators

Developing relationships with key stakeholders

Communicating the charity’s plans and achievements to stakeholders

Support the board in fulfilling their role as set out in this governance framework

Ensuring continuity of business activities and seeking out opportunities to develop services that support the communities we serve

If you would like further information about how we are governed, then please contact us.